In addition to this month being Black History Month we’re also celebrating the Chinese New Year (it’s the year of the pig), leap year and of course Valentine’s Day!

As a single Black woman, this can be an exciting and introspective time of year. During this month, I get to celebrate my identity in various ways. As a Black person, I enjoy the various celebrations that highlight areas of my history and culture outside of my norm. While also, as a woman, during the first half of this month we are “celebrated” and barraged with messages of relationships and romance.

However, all of this attention towards identity can become overwhelming. I must constantly evaluate if I am basing my identity on my own opinions and approval or upon outside sources?

When I am being bombarded with what society’s definition of being Black is, it almost feels like during this month, my Blackness is in question. Am I honoring my ancestors (enough)? As Valentine’s Day approaches, the media is consistently making references to relationships. As a single woman, this can certainly become annoying.

Knowing that my identity comes into question around now, I want to share some affirmations for self-love with you.

You may be wondering what self-love is about or what an affirmation is and how they can help you?

Self-love is quite simple and I will define it as: your interpretation or view of your individual well-being, identity and happiness.

Affirmation comes from the Latin word affirmare, and is defined as “emotional support or encouragement”. More specifically, an affirmation is a positive statement that helps you challenge and overcome negative or self-defeating thoughts, by shifting your attention and intention towards thoughts, attributes, etc that you wish to attract or portray.

Affirmations have been proven to be helpful! Countless studies can be found to support this practice. As a counselor, I can attest that positive affirmations are often part of treatment plans. Positive affirmations, as part of CBT has been proven and used for years to treat symptoms of depression, low self-esteem and other mental health conditions (Peden, Ann R., et al., 2001). Another study found that participants performed better at work, after spending a few minutes meditating on their best qualities (Kang, Sonia K. et al., 2015). How could your thoughts affect your job performance? For example, before a performance review or a big meeting, it was found that positive affirmations helped the participants perform better. Participants took just a few minutes visualizing and repeating positive affirmations to themselves. The affirmations helped to calm their nerves and boost their confidence, which increased their success! Affirmations can be used and applied to almost any area of your life, especially within an area you would like to change.

Positive Affirmations could help you

Decrease anxiety
Improve productivity
Overcome a bad habit
Implement a new habit
Manifest new intentions
Increase positive emotions
Increase your self-confidence
Control negative thoughts & emotions

Positive affirmations are powerful because they help us focus on the things we want to attract/manifest! I talk all the time about intention and manifestation and this practice is extremely similar. For example, by thinking “Man, I always get nervous and stutter during presentations”, you are more likely to get nervous and mess up. Why? Well, you’ve now shifted your attention and energy to what you do not want. By making these negative energy deposits, or deposits of negative energy, you are asking for exactly what you get. On the other hand, if you instead focus on how confident you are while public speaking, I promise you’ll have more confidence! Our brains constantly seek validation for our beliefs.

Take a moment to consider how your thoughts are confirming or creating your reality…

Here are 50 positive affirmations for self-love! I have separated this into two list: 30 Action Affirmations & 20 “I am” Affirmations. Check out each list below:

Action affirmations are affirmations that help us take actions and make changes. These affirmations serve as verbal motivation and a first step towards implementing a positive thought, behavior or habit. Action affirmations often speak to things we want to improve about ourselves. This list of action affirmations focuses on increasing self-love.

“I am” affirmations are those that speak to the person you are and/or want to be. I find these to be my favorite because I am speaking directly to my inner self. Each statement is based in the present. As you say an “I am” affirmation, be sure to visualize and feel what that statement means to you. Completely embody it, let the universe know exactly what you want!

Feel free to use these as affirmations during meditation practice or as a reminder to self to make positive energy deposits that will create your positive reality. As you have free time throughout your day, repeat some of these affirmations to yourself. Notice if you start feeling more self-love. More love for self, will soon lead to more love for others. When we love ourselves, others are able to see our love and will resonate that love frequency, causing it to amplify!

As we go into this Valentine’s week, make time to give yourself some love!

50 Affirmations for Self Love